sign in sign up
<<
Home , Andrea Kremer, Andy Rooney, Bill Simmons, Cris Collinsworth, Curt Menefee, Jim Nantz

http://www.dailynews.com/portlet/article/html/fragments/print_article.js...

NFL pregame shows have something to ad BY TOM HOFFARTH, Columnist Inside SOCAL Article Last Updated:10/11/2007 10:03:28 PM PDT

Maybe it was before the Coors Light Two-Minute Drill, right after the WebMD.com medical-symptom checker injury update. Just as was grunting something out during the Wal-Mart Rapid Fire exchange.

So when did Fox's NFL pregame show become so polluted with all the not-so-subliminal advertising logos? Oh, sorry, that's the "Built Ford Tough Fox NFL Sunday Pregame Show," as Curt Menefee was forced to announce at the launch of the latest episode.

Sad to say, this is more a subversive trend than just a Sunday morning wake-up call from Corporate America. Just follow the dirty, sexy money here.

Over at CBS, the network that started all this pregame business, it's "The NFL Today presented by Southwest," according to the unflappable James Brown. A video clip segment of hard hits is presented by McDonald's Quarter Pounders. Those on the panel then must defend their weekly predictions in the "GMC Defend Your Picks" segment. The weather conditions scroll with a Nike logo attached.

Later in the day, if you pull yourself away from Fox's "Overtime presented by Lowe's" and feel a need to locate NBC's "Football Night in America," you may find at least the peacock eases up on the bombardment during the smirkfest until the last 15 minutes when the "Chevy Drive to Kickoff" rears its ugly tailpipes. Around that time, digs up as much dignity as possible in announcing the Sprint Speed segment ("Three replays that exhibit speed from today's games!" he says) right before he does what appears to be a cold read on the "Quick Fix, Presented by McDonald's Snack Wrap," where has to ... wait, what does an empty-calorie snack wrap have to do with whether Cadillac Williams is playing tonight. Now we're confused. Is he talking about the Tampa Bay tailback or is it another pitch for some other jalopy. Doesn't State Farm protect Cadillac from injury?

When all's said and solicited, there's something to be said for ESPN's two-hour "Sunday NFL Countdown." It may be presented by IBM, but other than that, there's hardly any residual logo clutter, other than the scroll at the bottom of the screen trying to translate whatever is saying.

In fact, in the hour it goes head-to-head with Fox and CBS, you actually get fewer commercials, because the show is front-loaded and allows for more breathing room in the final before cutting away to women's bowling.

By our counter, ESPN goes about 40 minutes of show versus 20minutes of commercials in the first hour, but then the ratio cranks up to 48:12 in the second hour. Fox and CBS are closer to the 42:18 ratio during their hours on the air.

Pregame shows today are apparently as much about raising testosterone for NFL viewers as they are raising awareness of the atrocities of commercialism. Why not just run a stock ticker across the bottom of the screen? It's a surprise we haven't actually seen someone go rapid fire through a local Wal-Mart on the 11o'clock news yet.

We understand ads pay the bills, but in the network's case, what's the need for greed? It's not like the money is going into production value, unless you're factoring in Frank Caliendo's budget for prosthetics.

If they've gone this far, why not prostitute at every possible moment?

Dan Marino could be wolfing down a NutriSystem boxed lunch on the set.

1 of 2 10/12/2007 9:23 AM http://www.dailynews.com/portlet/article/html/fragments/print_article.js...

could be getting a trim in a SuperCuts chair while trading sex talk before Jillian (Fill In Her Last Name) discusses the latest frontal system.

Peter King, presented by Fathead.com. , presented by Greyhound.

The Visine report?

Keith Olbermann's "Worst Person in Sports" segment, sponsored by the most annoying sponsored segment in any TV sports programming, the AFLAC trivia question.

Then we're watching "60 Minutes," and JB pops back in with the "CBS Sports Update presented by Lipitor." That's when it finally hit us. Now, we know to check that WebMD site and see if there's a cure for all this indecent exposure.

WHAT SMOKES

If it sounds like the new ESPN news magazine show "E:60" is playing off the CBS news staple "60 Minutes," consider that a clue when the show debuts at 4 p.m. Tuesday. This is serious business, not the funny business that goes on normally at the ESPN family of pinball machines. Jeremy Schaap, Tom Farrey, , Rachel Nichols and daily "Around the Horn" loser Michael Smith are the investigative team on the "first multi-themed, prime-time newsmagazine program offering a combination of investigative features, profiles of intriguing sports personalities, and cutting edge stories on innovation in the sports world, including emerging sports and new technology," as the ESPN PR team puts it. To add that "60 Minutes" touch, they've hired Bill Simmons (aka, The Sports Guy) as a "special contributor" who'll probably be about as grating as . The reporters, as it's explained, are also part of the story, as we see how they pitch topics, create the story lines and shoot the interviews. Wonder what Bob Ley thinks about this "Sports Action Team" approach.

The Academic Center will be unveiled in a ceremony today on the campus of Central Michigan University, where the esteemed CBS play-by-play broadcaster completed his undergraduate studies. Enberg's name will also be linked to two scholarships for the school. "As a young Michigan high school graduate from a class of 33 who didn't even know if he'd go to college, Central Michigan accepted a nobody and provided me with the tools that allowed me to be a somebody, and for that I am indebted and forever grateful," said Enberg, the former health instructor and assistant baseball coach from 1961-65 at San Fernando Valley State (now Cal State Northridge). Enberg is already a member of the Central Michigan Hall of Fame, as well as the Hall of Fame at Indiana University, where he did his graduate work before moving to to become a local sportscaster at KTLA-Channel 5.

WHAT CHOKES

Stop obsessing about the fact that KCBS-Channel 2 is force feeding the Raiders-Chargers game at 1:15 p.m. Sunday because the NFL is steadfast in labeling L.A. a secondary market to San Diego, and either start a letter-writing campaign or go out to a sports bar if you really want to see 5-0 New England at 5-0 , also at 1:15 p.m. on CBS, with and . It's a perfect storm of circumstances that again exposes this ridiculous viewing infraction that should have been under review long before instant replay officials were asked to review the rules. This isn't the first, and it won't be the last time it happens. The other thing to worry about: If the 10 a.m. -Kansas City game goes long, they'll cut away for the start of the Chargers game. Again, it's the curse of living too close to an NFL area of supposed interest.

Why was Brandon Hancock working the sidelines on the USC radio broadcast during the game against Stanford last Saturday dressed in full Trojan warmup apparel? Copyright ©2007 Los Angeles Newspaper Group.

Close Window Send To Printer

2 of 2 10/12/2007 9:23 AM